The Dark's Mistress
by Alicia Jennings
Summary: When Snape's loyalty is questioned, Hermione is thrown into his world of darkness and fear. Their actions for the Cause may produce the outcome of the war against Voldemort...but will they survive to see the end? now finished
1. The Situation

The Dark's Mistress  
~  
By Alicia Jennings  
~  
  
"Would you please refrain from running in the corridors? It's ten minutes 'till lessons, there is no rush!" Hermione Granger, the Head Girl, admonished two second years who'd been running like Hell was on their heels. "Thank you so much," she said, somwhat sarcastically.  
  
It was no wonder they were a bit excited, she reminded herself gently. It was three weeks to the Christmas holidays, and Hogwarts was already covered in a deep snow. Fresh evergreen garlands with gold bows had been spotted around the castle, above doorways and on staircase railings. Indeed, the Christmas spirit had already begun to spark almost everyone's spirit. She would be staying at the castle this year. Her parents had divorced in September, and she thought it simpler to stay at school and avoid the question of "Are you going to your mom's?" or "Will you be spending the holidays with your dad?" Ron would be going to the Burrow. Harry would be staying at the castle, but would probably be with his girlfriend - a fifth year Hufflepuff named Lizzy Daniels - in the secluded parts of the school. "Doing God-doesn't-even-want-to-know what," she thought.  
  
Hermione headed up to Gryffindor Tower for a nap, thanking Dumbledore for implementing "free hours" for seventh year students. They'd been a great help for her mental state. Yes, it would be awfully nice to lay down on a fluffy couch by the fire, maybe with a good book to doze off by....hmm. Jane Eyre, maybe? Or, hmm....maybe Little Women....or maybe she'd go completely crazy and snitch a romance off of Ginny. Oh, the possibilities....  
  
Gods, it was great being a seventh year.  
  
SPLASH.  
  
Icy cold water had been flung in Hermione's face, drenching not only her head but also her front as well. A metal bucket hung in midair in front of her. That could only mean one thing....  
  
"PEEVES!"  
  
There was an evil cackle as he dropped the bucket on her head and materialized, zooming off.  
  
"THAT DOES IT!" she yelled, oblivious to the stares of those around her (maybe that had something to do with her being assaulted upside the head with a metal bucket). "Peeves, you're going to get it!"  
  
Ron and Harry entered the corridor just in time to see a soaked Hermione go running after Peeves.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We really need to find Hermione a boyfriend. She's starting to get a bit scary."  
  
~  
  
Hermione finally gave up chasing Peeves when she realized there wasn't much she could do to him. So, still soaking wet and not remembering the drying charm, she began the journey up to Gryffindor Tower for that long-awaited nap.  
  
"Miss Granger!"   
  
Hermione turned. Professor McGonagall was hurrying up beside her. "Miss Granger, you need to go see Dumbledore...It's urgent." She paused. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Peeves," Hermione grumbled. "What's happened?"  
  
"I'll let Dumbledore and Snape explain that....here -" She murmurred a drying charm. "Go to Dumbledore's office - you know what the password is. Hurry, now." Hermione complied, and began running in the direction of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"And Miss Granger -"  
  
Hermione turned. Her professor looked at her motherly, with - what was it? Pity?  
  
"Remember this - everything that may seem troublesome at the moment usually works out for the greater good in the end." With that, Professor McGonagall swept out of the corridor, and Hermione, somwhat confused, began to hurry toward Dumbledore's office.  
  
So much for that nap.  
  
~  
  
"Albus....please, we can't put her through this! She's but a child! It will ruin her! It will turn her....into...into me, for God's sake!"   
  
Dumbledore sat, serene, in his chair, trying in vain to calm the man seated before him. "Severus, I assure you -"  
  
"She's only seventeen years old!"  
  
"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice was sharp. "Do calm yourself. Do you have any other way of getting out of this?" Dumbledore waited a moment as the man seethed - silently - in front of him. "That's what I thought. If you do not carry out this....decree of Voldemort's, not only would you be slain but Miss Granger as well." Dumbledore paused, rising from the chair behind his oak desk. "You do not deserve death, Severus, nor does she."  
  
"I do," said Snape bitterly. "Albus....the things I've done...."  
  
"Have been forgiven, and you've more than made up for your bad actions." said Dumbledore swiftly. There was a knock at the office door. "And that would be Miss Granger. Do come in, child."  
  
Snape watched as Hermione Granger entered Dumbledore's circular office. Everything about her screamed Gryffindor, he sneered to himself. From the robes she wore (obviously, since they had her house emblem emblazoned on them) to the confident poise of her chin. The only student possibly more Gryffindor than she was Harry Potter himself. He sighed aloud, running his hands through his hair. Utterly hopeless, this charade....  
  
"You wanted to see me, Professor Dumbledore, sir?" she asked, bobbing a slight curtsy. "Professor Snape," she greeted him with a slight nod of her head.   
  
"Ah, yes, Miss Granger. Won't you please have a seat?"  
  
"Oh," she said softly. "That bad?" She sunk down into the deep plush of one of the chairs sitting in front of his desk.  
  
"Miss Granger, do try to not be so dramatic," snapped Snape, rising from his chair to stand by a window.  
  
Hermione recoiled. "I apologize," she snapped.  
  
Dumbledore quickly interrupted, as to avoid the start of World War III occuring in his own office. "Miss Granger, I am afraid that we have some bad news....no, it's not your parents, dear." Here Hermione breathed a sweet sigh of relief. Dumbledore sat down in his chair. "Sit down, Severus, you're making me nervous with all your pacing."   
  
Snape glared at the Headmaster, but dutifully slunk into the chair beside Hermione.  
  
"Right," the Headmaster continued. "Hermione, you are aware that Professor Snape was formerly a Death Eater." She nodded, and he continued. "He still operates as one to Voldemort. However, he is truly a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, the resistance group that you and Harry belong to, of course. But, you knew this," said Dumbledore with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Voldemort likes to recruit - and extinguish - any threatening witches or wizards while they are still young." Dumbledore paused. "Oh, excuse my manners. Tea, anyone?"  
  
"Albus," Snape growled, "Please get to the point."  
  
"Ah, yes, right." Dumbledore took a sip of his own cup of tea. "Voldemort knows that you, Hermione, are one of the most powerful witches Hogwarts has ever seen. Therefore, you can either help - or hurt - his cause. As one of his own Death Eaters is the Potions professor here at Hogwarts...Voldemort has given Snape the task of...well, Professor Snape, perhaps you could explain."  
  
"Very well, Albus," said Snape wearily. "Miss Granger, I will not sugarcoat this, I will simply tell you like it is. Voldemort wants as much information about you as possible. He wants me to persuade you to become my mistress, so that I could find out every detail about your past, and your future."  
  
"And if you cannot persuade me?" she asked, her voice shaking.  
  
"Then I will die at the hands of Lord Voldemort as a traitor to his circle." said Snape, his eyes downcast.  
  
"And we will lose our only hope at winning the war," said Dumbledore softly.  
  
Hermione's eyes grew very, very wide. She slowly put her head in her hands, murmurring, "All I wanted was one damn nap....all I wanted....one damn nap..." How could this be happening? She was just seventeen....not old enough to do that much damage to the dark side.....She was in deep -  
  
"Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore gently. "I think perhaps you should drink some tea, after all."  
  
Hermione accepted the cup and saucer after Snape had poured a liberal amount of sugar (and a drop or two of brandy) into the brown liquid. She sipped it slowly. After half of the contents were gone, she looked up at the two men whose eyes were fixed on her. "What am I to do?"  
  
"As Head Girl, you had the right to stay in your own private room. You refused that at the beginning of the year, but you have...changed your mind, let us say. You will not have your own room, however, you will move in with Professor Snape instead. You will spend as much time together as possible. Although your relationship is meant to be private, it will be as public as possible. The rumors that will spread will only make this look more real. No one except for the Order of the Phoenix can know that this relationship is nothing but a charade."  
  
"Not even Ron?" asked Hermione softly.  
  
Dumbledore patted her hand gently. "I am truly sorry, my dear, but no. Not even Ron."   
  
Hermione sat back in her chair, trying to process it all. This simply couldn't be happening...it was madness. To play mistress to her most disliked teacher who was probably nearly twice her age....and to not be able to tell Ron, one of her best friends...  
  
Dumbledore continued. "This...."relationship", if you will, begins as soon as the two of you step outside of this office. You will be moved into Professor Snape's quarters the day the holidays begin." He looked at his watch. "Oh, look at the time...I must go see Minerva about something...please stay here and talk it over. Inform me tonight of your decision." Rising from his chair, he tipped his hat to Hermione and exited his office.  
  
"Gods help us," murmurred Hermione, letting her head drop into her hands again.   
  
"Miss Granger," said Snape, his voice somewhat touched by emotion, "You don't have to do this. I do not ask it of you. I would never ask someone to live a life touched by the darkness."  
  
A few tears coursed down Hermione's cheeks. "And if I don't do this, Professor, you will die! And so will the hundreds of others whom you protect with your intelligence from Voldemort's circle." She wiped at her tears stubbornly. "If I can protect you, I will do it. I know it won't be the easiest thing, but..." Hermione hurriedly scrubbed at her face with the cuff of her robe. "I - I'll adjust. We better go....I have to go to my dormitory to get a book for my next class."  
  
"Miss Granger, you don't -"  
  
"I know," she interrupted. "But I am anway. Now, let's go, Professor."  
  
They walked out of Dumbledore's office together....it was only the beginning.  
  
~  
  
A/N - Well, what do you think? Should I continue? PLEASE review!!!!!! I know this isn't like any of my other fanfics, but....well, go on, review!  
  
-Alicia 


	2. Christmas in the dungeons, how lovely

The Dark's Mistress  
Chapter Two  
~  
By Alicia Jennings  
~  
  
...We got just one shot of life, let's take it while we're still not afraid   
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you're undecided   
And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands   
  
Young hearts be free tonight, Time is on your side   
Don't let them put you down, don't let 'em push you around   
don't let 'em ever change your point of view...   
-Rod Stewart "Young Turks"  
  
~  
*Potions class, day before holidays begin*  
  
"Finish bottling your potions, and then put away your cauldrons. Leave the bottles on your desks, I'll collect them....except for you, Mr. Longbottom, you may deposit yours in the wastebin, where all of your potions belong...."  
  
Hermione stowed away her cauldron, her hands shaking nervously. Today was the day they would start their act. They'd been meeting over the past weeks to plot out how they would carry everything out, down to the last little details - such as sleeping arrangements. Hermione blushed. All the better that I'm blushing, she thought - her classmates, save Harry, would think she'd gone completely airhead.  
  
She looked at her watch. Thirty seconds to the bell. It was time. Six vials of potion sat on her desk. She drummed her fingers on the desk casually, and then slid her hand towards the vials very discreetly. Two went crashing to the floor  
  
Everyone turned, including Professor Snape. She put on her best "fake innocence" look. "Oops? I guess I'm just clumsy...." She gave a light laugh, tossing her hair (she'd put it in curls today). "I'll stay and clean it up."  
  
The bell rang. Perfect. Half the class left, the other half - Gryffindors, except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle - stayed as they were, looking at her, puzzled. Hermione Granger never spilled potions. Hermione Granger never acted like an airhead, either.  
  
Snape made his way toward her desk, looming over her. "Everyone out!" he snapped. "I want a - private - word with Miss Granger."  
  
Harry and Ron made their way past her, murmurring, "See you later." Harry quickly gave her hand a squeeze before ushering a confused Ron out.   
  
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were the last to leave. As they walked past her, Malfoy murmurred, "Y'know, mudblood, your kind are good for only one thing." He swept pass, his goons following, and they shut the door.  
  
"Well done, Miss Granger," Snape murmurred quietly. "Tread carefully, for there is glass under your feet, and enemies outside the door." He raised his voice. "Miss Granger, your clumsiness is unacceptable."  
  
"Well, Professor," said Hermione, rising to her feet, "I'm not clumsy at everything I do. Just ask Viktor Krum." She ventured closer to him. There was a barred window on the door - with no glass, of course, as it was a dungeon. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Malfoy watching and listening. "So what is the - punishment - for my crime?"  
  
"I shall have to think on it," he said, lifting her chin to look into her face. "Meet me here tonight, at six o' clock."  
  
"All right, Professor," said Hermione, grinning seductively. Malfoy stood, looking closer in the window, and Hermione hesitated.  
  
*What the hell,* she thought. She stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed him on the lips. "Tonight at six."  
  
Satisfied, Malfoy began creeping off. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Hermione began blushing profusely. "I'm sorry, Severus....but Malfoy was there, and he didn't look convinced, and I didn't know what else to do -"  
  
"Shh, shh," he comforted her. "It's fine, relax. You did well, Hermione."  
  
"Thank God," she said, fanning herself nervously. "I was scared to death."  
  
"Of what?" he asked, chuckling. "Kissing the horrible Potions teacher?" She scowled, poking him in the arm. "Ouch, sorry..."  
  
"Tonight at six then. Have the elves send some dinner here, please...." She put on her best seductive voice. "I hate making love on an empty stomach."  
  
"Oh, get on with you," he said, laughing softly. He handed her books to her. "Be safe."  
  
"The same to you."  
  
~  
  
"Hermione! Hermione, wait up!"   
  
Hermione turned to see Ron and Harry running towards her at breakneck speed. "What have I told you two about running in the corridors?" she asked, amused.  
  
"Never mind that," said Ron, panting, as they drew up beside her. "What the hell went on in the Potions classroom?!"  
  
"Watch your language," said Hermione mildly. "I accidentally knocked over some of my potion, and used my feminine good sense to get out of detention."  
  
"On Snape?!" Ron looked horrified.  
  
"If it means getting out of detention, yes, of course on Snape!" said Hermione irritably. "Now, I have to go. I have things to do." She ducked into another corridor before Ron could say anything more.  
  
Ron looked to Harry for explanations, and he shrugged. "Don't ask me, Ron. It must be a girl thing. I've got to go check on something before Divination...I'll meet you there, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, all right," he muttered, waving Harry off and continuing toward the North tower.  
  
As soon as Ron had turned his back, Harry ran after Hermione. She had gone into a deserted classroom to wait for him. "Harry," she said as he entered the room, "I hate lying to Ron."   
  
"Shh!" he murmurred, casting a soundproofing spell on the room. Satisfied, he turned back to her. "I know you do, Hermione, but there isn't another way. When this is all over and we tell him the truth, if he's truly our friend he'll accept it and forgive us."  
  
"You say it like you're part of it too," she said, smiling.  
  
"I am, Hermione," he said, taking her hands in his. "You're like my sister. Your trials are mine as well."  
  
"Thanks, Harry," she said, giving him a hug before hurrying off to Arithmancy.  
  
~  
  
Hermione didn't go to dinner, murmurring excuses to Harry and Ron about how she felt under the weather and didn't much feel like eating. After Harry and Ron had left for dinner, she snuck down to the dungeons. The thought of creeping around in the dungeons after class hours creeped her out a bit, and she shuddered. Then she remembered the real reason she was down here.  
  
Then she got even more thoroughly creeped out, and chills ran through her body.   
  
She hurried on, clutching her wand tightly under her robes whenever she heard any sounds.  
  
"What's filth like you doing down here in the dungeons, Mudblood?"  
  
She whirled around. Malfoy. "Hello, Malfoy," she said, emotionless, and continued on, turning her back to him.  
  
He put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. "What the hell are you playing at, Granger? Snape's one with the Dark Lord. And we all know that the Dark Lord loves a good Mudblood toy every now and then."  
  
Hermione wrenched her shoulder out of his grasp. "I don't particulary care what Snape does outside of Hogwarts, Malfoy. All I know is he's a bloody - good - lay. And I need one every now and then, God knows, with all this hell of exams and extra studies. Now, sod off before I hex you to Kingdom come." She turned and took a few more steps, before grinning and turning back around.  
  
"Besides, Malfoy, I guess I love the way he screams, "Ten points to Gryffindor!" every single time I -"  
  
But Malfoy had ran away, his hands pressed over his ears. Hermione smirked in a very Snape-like way. Oh, that had been oddly satisfying. The look on his face.....!  
  
"That was highly amusing, Miss Granger."  
  
*Oh...God. Did he just hear that? Oh Gods...Goddesses....Circe, Zeus, Mercury, Venus, anyone! Help me, because he's going to reduce me to mincemeat!* Hermione slowly turned to face Snape. "Errumm....Hi?"  
  
The corners of Snape's mouth twitched upwards into a small smile. "Why don't we go to my quarters, Miss Granger? Before you begin yelling intimate details of our lovemaking again."  
  
"Umm...err, ahh....okay," she said sheepishly, blushing red to the roots of her hair. Snape put his arm around her waist, chuckling softly, as he led "his mistress" to his private quarters.  
  
There, he thought, he'd be able to collapse into *real* laughter once he reactivated his soundproofing wards.  
~  
  
Hermione packed away the last of her things in her trunk, admonishing herself not to cry. Stupid emotions. She didn't even know what she was getting emotional over. After all, at least now she wouldn't have to listen to Parvati prattle on about her last lay until two a.m., or smell the noxious fumes of their nail polish.   
  
And now, she realized, in an odd sort of way, that she would miss it terribly.   
  
She chided herself again, shoving her trunk shut and picking up her bag full of posessions that wouldn't fit in her trunk. Damn emotions, she cursed mentally as the tears came again. She tried forcing them back, to no avail, as she hauled her trunk out of the room and cast a floating spell on it. The entirety of the Common Room turned to look up at her, suprised.  
  
"Where are you going, Hermione?" asked Ron, his voice steely. Then he softened. "Why're you crying?"  
  
"Ahh, nothing, err....stubbed my toe," she fibbed. From the look on his face, he hadn't fallen for it. "Pardon me, Ron."  
  
He didn't budge. "No," he said, crossing his arms and blocking the path. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Umm....Professor Dumbledore said he'd rather me have my own rooms. That way I could, err...work on my extra projects without interruption," she said, raising her voice just enough to where others could hear. "Now, Ron, do you suppose you could move?"  
  
Ron sighed. "All right, Hermione. Is that the truth?"  
  
Hermione looked at him, and only Harry noticed the obvious pain in her eyes. "Of course, Ron. Why would I lie?" She grinned at him.  
  
He didn't smile back. "I don't know, Hermione...I don't know."  
  
~  
  
Hermione exited the common room.  
  
Christmas in the dungeons.  
  
How lovely.  
  
It wasn't that Snape's quarters were all that bad - they were suprisingly cozy, and filled witih books as well. It was just.....well....the idea was in itself quite altogether depressing.  
  
She'd gotten him a gift - a book of short stories and poems by Poe. In addition she'd gotten him a gag gift, as he'd hinted to buying her one. His was red boxers with "Go Gryffindor!" emblazoned on the back. She couldn't wait to see his face of horror when he opened it.  
  
Hermione and Snape had only been..."friends" for a few weeks now, but were already very close. They would have spirited discussions over Transfiguration ethics, the latest Potions Weekly, or Arithmancy theories by the fireside in the evenings. He treated her like an equal, not a student of seventh year. And from Professor Severus Snape, that in itself was extremely high praise.  
  
~  
  
They stayed up late Christmas Eve, drinking cocoa while watching the embers of the fire die down to a dim, red-orange glow. They were talking about personal matters.  
  
"What's your family like, Severus?" asked Hermione. She was on one side of the cushy black couch, and he was on the other.  
  
Snape shrugged. "I dunno....a lot like me, I guess. Slytherin to the core. Father died years ago. Mother's still at our family home, the place I grew up. She's as much of a bookworm and avid learner as you are."  
  
"No brothers or sisters?"  
  
"Nope. I was an only child." He shifted his gaze from the fire to her. "And you, Miss Questions?"  
  
Hermione grinned. "Well, I've got a little sister....she's ten. As for my parents...I dunno, I guess they're just Muggles. They're both dentists, which means for sugar-free food and a really boring childhood. I was never one of those kids who wanted to have the job their parents did."  
  
"Well, your mother and father will kill me," said Snape dryly. "I'm giving you hot chocolate."  
  
"Not to mention sleeping with me as well," said Hermione, laughing. She looked at her watch. "Speaking of bed, we should head that way, should we not? It's nearly one a.m."  
  
"Yes, I suppose so," said Snape, rising from the couch and doing a catlike stretch. "You change in the bathroom, me out here, as usual?"  
  
"Yes, that will do," said Hermione, rising as well to gather up her nightclothes. They brushed their teeth, checked the wards, and then crawled into Snape's huge, green-coverleted four poster bed.  
  
"I'm glad you sleep in a four-poster, Severus," murmurred Hermione sleepily. "I have to admit that I'd somewhat imagined a black coffin."  
  
The sleepy Snape lying next to her gave a derisive snort.  
  
"I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding....Good night, Severus," she said, and then did something she hadn't done before - she kissed him on the cheek.  
  
He smiled in the dark - Hermione could just make out the outline. "Good night, Hermione."  
  
~  
  
He was awoken only short hours later by an overexcited, seventeen-year-old girl jumping up in down in his bed.  
  
"Wake up, it's Christmas! And I've got a letter and package from my parents, which means they got my letter." She stretched across him and snatched a letter opener off his bedside table.  
  
"You could've asked," he murmurred sleepily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes to rid them of sleep as she slit the letter open.  
  
----------  
  
Dearest Hermione -  
  
We hope you are having a happy Christmas. We are too, despite the fact we are in hiding. I will not tell you where in case this letter is intercepted, just know that we are safe and so is Juliet. She sends her love as well. She has talked about almost nothing but Hogwarts as of late - she is praying that she too is a witch.  
  
Although both of us are extremely concerned about the fact that you will be living - alone - with a man nearly our age, we will take Dumbledore's word that he is an honest, brave man that will protect you and not take ill advantage of you. If this is necessary to keep Voldemort from harming you, than so be it. We are, however, very sorry that this is to yours and his disadvantages - we are sure that your reputations will be poisoned, since rumors are intentionally being started to make this..."relationship" look convincing. Please be safe, Hermione. We love you too much to lose you.  
  
With this letter also arrives a package. Since we did our Christmas shopping earlier in the year, we had all our presents before we went into hiding. Enclosed also is a package for Mr. Snape. We want him to know and understand that for protecting our daughter, he will always have a place in our family.  
  
Once again, we hope you have a pleasant Christmas. Send a reply to us tomorrow.  
  
All our love,  
Mother and Daddy  
  
P.S. - Hermione, could you talk to that Dumbledore man and see if I'm being admitted to Hogwarts? I really want to be a witch. Happy Christmas! ~Juliet  
  
----------  
  
"Well, they're safe....and they approve, even if somewhat reluctantly.....and they ssent presents!" Hermione took out several packages from the parcel. "Here's yours. My parents must like the fact you're saving my life." She withdrew two parcels from behind her back as well. "And these are from me. Let's open each other's first! You must begin with that one."  
  
"And you must begin with this one," said Snape, handing her one package, and then setting another one in front of her. "It's your gag gift, and I know...it's quite odd of me to buy one..."  
  
Hermione grinned. "Yours is too." She ripped through the wrapping and opened the box that was beneath. What lay inside the tissue wrapping was, to Hermione, the definition of lingerie. It was white, sheer with lace trim. It came with lace panties to wear underneath, and there was a note.  
  
-Hope you don't mind. Tell anyone and I'll take back the 30 points I gave Gryffindor the morning after you saw Malfoy in the corridor. -S.S.  
  
Hermione grinned broadly. Her lips were definitely sealed.  
  
~  
  
Some guys have all the luck  
Some guys have all the pain  
Some guys get all the breaks  
Some guys do nothing but complain  
  
Alone in a crowd on a bus after work   
and I'm dreaming  
The guy next to me has a girl in his arms  
My arms are empty  
How does it feel when the girl next to you   
says she loves you  
It seem so unfair when there's love everywhere   
but there's none for me  
  
Someone to take on a walk by the lake  
Lord let it be me  
Someone who's shy  
Someone who'll cry at sad movies  
I know I would die if I ever found out  
she was fooling me  
You're just a dream and as real as it seems  
I ain't that lucky  
  
All of my friends have a ring on their finger  
They have someone  
Someone to care for them it ain't fair  
I got no one...  
  
But if you were here with me  
I'd feel so happy I could cry  
You are so dear to me  
I just can't let you say goodbye  
-Rod Stewart "Some Guys Have All The Luck"  
~  
  
Author's Note - to date, I have 17 reviews on chapter one alone! I am in author's heaven! I've gotta write in this genre more often....  
and if anyone can help me get rid of my writer's block on legend of chastity lorna, that'd be certainly nice. Meanwhile, thank you SO MUCH for the reviews, that was really awesome to come back to mom's and find 17 really good, constructive reviews waiting for me. While I was at dad's I wrote 50 pages on this - longhand - in one of my notebooks I got for Christmas. Yeah....I'm seriously needing a social life. Anyways! REVIEW, I *beg* of you! My authoress inside of me feeds off of those reviews.....and pixy stix and mountain dew, but that's beside the point....  
  
-Alicia/Jaimes 


	3. Snape is Summoned and the news is unplea...

The Dark's Mistress  
~  
Chapter Three  
By Alicia Marie Jennings  
~  
  
~Well the good old days  
May not return  
And the rocks might melt  
And the sea may burn...  
  
I'm learning to fly  
But I ain't got wings  
Coming down  
Is the hardest thing...~  
-Tom Petty, "Learning to Fly"  
**It is a few days after Christmas**  
  
Severus Snape awoke suddenly, covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. Next to him, Hermione slept peacefully under the warm coverlet. Then there was a sudden, sharp pain in his left arm, telling him why he'd awoken. He carefully slid out of the bed, grabbing his clothes and dressing in the semi-darkness, pulling on his black robes and then grabbing his mask. Before putting it on, he awoke Hermione.  
  
"Mmmm....." Hermione stirred, opening her eyes a tiny bit. "Wha -" She was cut off by a huge yawn. "Whassamatter?"  
  
"I've been Summoned." He watched her eyes grow round as she jolted into the world of wakefulness. "There is a jar of Floo powder on the hearth. After I depart, I want you to go to Dumbledore's office, tell him what has happened, and stay there until I return, do you understand? No jaunts with Mr. Potter or any other of your Gryffindor friends."  
  
She gave him one of her infamous looks of disdain as she threw off the covers and grabbed her robe, throwing it on over her pajamas. "Yes, sir....please be careful," she added, turning to face him.  
  
He paused before grasping the Portkey long enough to look into her eyes. "I promise," he whispered, before vanishing, and leaving a seventeen-year-old girl to wait and worry.  
  
Hermione took a pinch of Floo powder and threw it into the dying flames, which rose high once more. "Dumbledore's Office!"  
  
~  
  
Snape walked quickly to the circle of black-clad figures congregated near a clump of menacing-looking trees. The sky was midnight black, and there was no moon. The only bit of light given was from the millions of twinkling stars - and the stars looked entirely too cheerful, in his opinion. He hated the confines of his mask - it felt as though he were suffocating. That's what this charade was doing...suffocating him slowly....  
  
"Ahh, Severus. You've finally arrived...now we can commence," said Voldemort, walking to the center of the circle. "Give us your report on the Mudblood friend of Potter's."  
  
Severus inwardly winced at the crude term. "Well, over the past month, my lord, I have commenced a relationship with her. She has recently moved into my quarters. I believe she trusts me completely, my lord, which means that I can ask her whatever you wish to know."  
  
There were murmurrs of assent among the death eaters. "Tell me," said a voice, which Snape quickly recognized as Lucius Malfoy's, "Is she a good lay? Because when we're through with her, I wish her to be mine for a period of time....she's quite attractive for a Mudblood."  
  
Snape wanted to scream, but instead forced out, "A little inexperienced, but a fast learner." Oh, Hermione was going to kill him...but first he wanted to kill the entire Malfoy clan.  
  
Luckily, he was spared any more commentary by Voldemort - if that was lucky. "I want to know her parents' names, if she has siblings...and if she has any interest whatsoever in the Dark Arts."  
  
Severus kneeled in front of Voldemort. "Consider it done, my lord."  
  
"Very well, I knew I could count on you...you are dismissed, so that Muggle-lover Dumbledore doesn't wonder where you've been....we'll have another meeting soon."  
  
"Yes, my lord," said Severus, before touching the Portkey in his pocket and racing back to Hogwarts.  
  
~  
  
Hermione paced the floor of Dumbledore's office, her arms crossed over her chest, her face furrowed in a frown. Dumbledore once again tried to offer her a sweet, but she refused, and resumed her pacing.  
  
"You know, with all your pacing, you remind me a lot of Severus," said Dumbledore, amused.  
  
Hermione gave him a dubious look a lot like the one she'd given Snape earlier. "We aren't entirely un-alike, he and I, Professor, although I sometimes hate to admit it."   
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Let it be known that a Gryffindor has just compared herself to the Head of Slytherin."  
  
"A historical event," added Hermione, giving him a small smile. Then, she resumed her pacing. What could be going on? Was Snape being tortured? Were they asking for information about her? Were they planning an attack? Sighing, Hermione uncrossed her arms, forcing herself to keep them at her sides. She soon gave up and let the tension return.  
  
"You aren't going to make him return any faster by pacing, Miss Granger. Perhaps you would take a nap on the couch?"  
  
"No, sir, but thank you. Unless I am keeping you up."  
  
"Not at all," said Dumbledore, unwrapping a Hershey's Kiss (his newest favorite) and popping it in his mouth. "I am used to having to wait up these long nights for Severus, Miss Granger. I have done so for the past two years, and I will do it until he is done. It is for me that he does this, although I have tried to convince him to not return these past few months. I fear for him, Miss Granger, I will not lie to you. He is in danger. But all we can do is hope and pray for his safe return." Dumbledore smiled, beginning to unwrap another sweet. "And if I know Severus, he will fight and fight to see he makes it back."  
  
Hermione smiled. The Headmaster certainly knew Severus was headstrong. She'd only been with him a month, but she'd made that deduction a while ago that he was extremely stubborn. She was lost in her thoughts when a knock on the door sounded.  
  
"Enter," Dumbledore called.   
  
Severus practically ran in, his mask clutched in his hand tightly. "Where's Hermione? Is she safe? Is she all right?"  
  
"Severus, I'm right here," said Hermione gently, coming into his line of vision.  
  
He grabbed her shoulders. "Hermione, you've got to go into hiding. You're not safe! They're asking me for information...about your parents, siblings, if you have a possible interest in the Dark Arts....they want you to join them!"  
  
Hermione took his hands, gently removing them from her somewhat bruised shoulders, and held them. "Severus, I'm not hiding. I have to get my education, I have my friends....my family is hidden, we can give the Death Eaters fake names." She continued to hold his hands, which were shaking, in her own small ones. "Severus, look at me. Look me in the eye."  
  
Slowly, a bit reluctantly, Snape looked into her brown orbs.  
  
"Severus, if I go into hiding.....they have won. And I'll be damned if I let Voldemort get a victory over me."  
  
Severus gave a hollow laugh. "They've already ruined your reputation, anyway."  
  
"My reputation. But they have not ruined my life, Severus. I am still living, breathing...and I have a new friend. Severus, we can't let them win!" she said desperately.  
  
Dumbledore, who had been silent, watching the exchange, spoke up quietly. "She is right, Severus. We'll fake some information. We cannot let them win....we cannot let the dark side triumph over us." He drew out a piece of parchment and a quill and started scribbling. "How long will this give us, Severus?"  
  
Severus wearily ran fingers through his hair, wincing at the offending knots. "I've no idea. Anywhere from a day to two months...it's hard to say."  
  
"What about the question of the Dark Arts? Should I be interested...or not?" asked Hermione, a bit frightened. "I mean...if I'm not, he'll kill me, if I am, he'll kill me....so..."  
  
"You can't become a full-fledged member of the Death Eaters until you're eighteen. You won't be of age until September, am I correct?" Hermione nodded, and Dumbledore continued. "That buys us a lot of time. Therefore, I think it would be seemly for the Miss Granger we have fabricated to have a slight interest in the Dark Arts. After all, her lover is a death eater in Voldemort's closest circle."  
  
Hermione had sat down, her face shades paler than what it had been moments ago. She was going to face Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew...she was going to face Voldemort. Her hands shook, and she clasped them together in a vain attempt to still them. Dumbledore and Snape saw her discomfort, and Dumbledore stood up from his desk, and kneeled in front of her chair. Hermione reluctantly met his eyes.  
  
"Miss Granger," he said softly, taking her hands in his old ones, "You are one of the bravest young ladies I know. You've done so much already that no other witches your age would have done. Now I am asking you to be brave once more. I know you can do it, but will you?"  
  
Images rushed through Hermione's head....poor Harry watching Cedric be killed by a flash of blinding green light. Her sister, Juliet, screaming as a black-clad figure loomed over her. Ron and Ginny watching in horror as their family was taken. The calm look on Snape's face as he left earlier this morning...but his eyes were deeply troubled.  
  
She was slammed back into the world of reality. "Yes, sir. I will do whatever you or Severus wish. My actions are for the Cause. Whatever it takes."  
  
Severus felt as if his heart would be ripped in two by the girl's sacrifice.  
  
~  
  
They returned to his chambers to catch a few precious hours' sleep. Hermione removed her robes, which had been thrown on over her tanktop and pajama bottoms, and was about to crawl in bed when she felt Severus' hand on her shoulder. She gasped - he'd left bruises earlier.  
  
He looked at the marks on her shoulders and winced. "Hermione...I am so sorry....I didn't mean to - I was just upset at the moment..."  
  
"Severus," she said gently, "It's all right. Get ready for bed, okay?"  
  
He did as she said, and then crawled into the bed next to her. He rolled over to face her. She was still awake, and still pale. "Hermione..." he whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face in an uncharacteristic guesture of care, "I promise I will do all I can to keep you safe."  
  
"And I would do the same for you," she whispered. They were both silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Severus...what will they do to me?"  
  
"I don't know," he whispered. "But I don't intend to let them do anything."  
~  
  
A Note from the Authoress~*~  
  
Addressing a few questions from reviews! Okay...Lady Susyte! umm....I made Snape fairly charming because I believe that a) he does have a heart (lol) and b) You hafta consider that Hermione, a child of seventeen, has been pushed into a VERY uncomfortable situation. She's really young to be dealing with all the crap she's having to deal with. It's his way of making it a bit more comfortable for her. Thanks for your review, I appreciate it!!!  
  
Severusgirl - She didn't really *tell* Harry about the relationship being fabricated...but Dumbledore said that the Order of the Phoenix would know the truth, and Harry's part of that...so he'd know. Thanks for your review as well!  
  
Redone - The last chapter was an entire month after Voldemort gave Snape his task - and so every son of a death eater, as you put it (which i found quite amusing) would be expecting for *something* to happen. And that whole, "Whoops-we're-holding-hands-and-people-are-around" thing will happen...because they'll need to fuel the rumors. Thanks for your reviewl!!!  
  
Lightning bug - CLAIRE!!! I absolutely adore recieving reviews from you! And yeah, Fanfiction.net is doing oddly funkified things on my comp as well...the only way i was able to reach the file upload thing on my account (since I've lost the top bar) was to go back on my internet history and find the page, lol...I hope it's fixed soon!  
  
And to everyone else who reviewed.......THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!! You've no idea, honestly, how great it feels to recieve a review...perhaps you'd go review my poor poems "Oh Dove" and "plea"? Considering they maybe have three reviews between both of them, lol. Okay, shutting up.  
  
Thanks for reading! I love ya!  
  
-Alicia Marie/Jaimes 


	4. Child, do you have a fever?

The Dark's Mistress  
~  
Chapter Four  
By Alicia Jennings  
~  
  
Well the conversations ring in my head   
I remember everything that we said  
All those tears that we shed...  
  
Well you know me better than I know myself   
Will you write this for me   
He says no, you write your songs yourself   
That made me stronger   
It made me hold on to me  
-Stevie Nicks "That Made Me Stronger"  
~  
  
The term had started around two weeks ago. Hermione got more and more suspicious looks as every day passed, and felt as though facing Voldemort would be a cinch if she could just get past the glares of her peers.  
  
Snape had been Summoned shortly after that night she'd made her decision, and Voldemort had requested her presence at a...."party" that was to be held in two weeks' time. As the date drew closer, she became more and more anxious. She didn't know what they expected of her, but she was pretty damn sure that it was not going to be fun at all.  
  
"Good morning," she murmurred, sitting down in between Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table. "How are you two?"  
  
"Fine," Harry answered in a falsely cheerful way. She saw the look in his eyes, and deciphered it. She immediately knew she was probably in deep sh-  
  
"What is the matter with you?!" Ron exploded. Half the Great Hall turned to look at the trio, and Hermione suddenly felt very, very uncomfortable.  
  
"What are you talking about, Ronald Weasley?" she snapped, her voice steely.  
  
"You know as good as hell what I'm talking about, Hermione! There's bloody rumors going around that you're sleeping with Snape! You've moved out of Gryffindor tower, and you're seen slunking around the dungeons after class hours, and worst of all, EVERYONE'S BLOODY SAYING THAT YOU'RE FU-"  
  
"Mister Weasley!" a voice snapped. "That will be thirty points from Gryffindor for insulitng a student, and detention since you've interrupted everyone's breakfast." He glared at the redhead. "Don't try and make sense of things you will never in a hundred lifetimes ever understand!" Snape turned to Hermione. "I am truly sorry, Miss Granger." And with that, he strode away, leaving the entire populus of the Great Hall to stare at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
The first thing Hermione did was give Ron a resounding smack on the cheek. Then she spoke. "Ronald Weasley," she hissed, "I am ashamed of you. Sev- Snape is right. You need to stop trying to make sense of things that are beyond your comprehension!" She picked up her bookbag, leaving her breakfast uneaten. "Goodbye, Harry," she said, and gave him an apologetic look, with tears of shame running down her face. "I am very sorry for being partly responsible for ruining your breakfast."  
  
"Hermione, wait!" Harry yelled as she ran out of the Hall. Giving Ron the absolute, most dirtiest glares he could muster, he ran after her, trying to find her. He didn't see her until their period together in Double Potions.  
  
~  
  
Hermione was only half-focused on her Arithmancy, dreading the long Double Potions period she had directly afterwards. Severus would probably pair her with Draco, as it was needed for her to have some dialogue with him to try and discern what would happen at the party in a weeks' time. She was absolutely postive she did not want to know.  
  
The bell rang, and she headed off to Potions. She sat at a table with Harry; Ron had chosen to sit beside Neville (woe betide him, thought Hermione). Harry tried to give her a look of reassurance - she smiled back, and her eyes teared up again, but she kept them in check as Snape entered the room. Everyone hurriedly opened up their textbooks and waited patiently for him to tell them what they would be doing that day.  
  
"Today," he said, walking from his desk to the area right in front of the desk, his movements precise, calculated, and altogether terrifying, "We will be brewing Veritaserum. And no, Wonder Trio, you cannot work together...I will be partnering you with someone." He grinned nastily at them, and Hermione thought, to herself, how convincing he was. "Potter, you're with Crabbe....Weasley, you're with Parkinson...." He went through the entire class, saving Hermione for last. She looked in his eyes, and they seemed to say **I'm sorry...** "Miss Granger, you will be with Mr. Malfoy." She sighed. "Well, Miss Granger, move!"  
  
Muttering incoherently under her breath, she reluctantly gathered her things and sat down beside by Malfoy. Ron's ears were red; he was obviously angry. Harry looked scared at the thought that he would be preparting a potion with Crabbe.  
  
As Hermione sat down, Malfoy smirked. "Well, well, well. What my luck is to be sitting beside the Gryffindor Mudblood whore."  
  
Hermione decided to use the silent treatment, drawing forth mandrake root and beginning to methodically slice them into paper-thin slivers. She wouldn't let him get to her...she couldn't...  
  
"Trying to give the scary son of a deatheater the silent treatment, Granger?" he drawled, scooping up the roots and dumping them into the cauldron. "Are you this silent when you and Snape are making love?"  
  
Hermione calmly measured out a fixed amount of belladonna and dumped it into the cauldron, sighing. "Wouldn't you love to know, Malfoy?"  
  
He smirked again. He scooted closer to her on the bench under the pretense of reaching for a beaker of water. He leaned into her, his lips brushing against her hair, and whispered chilling words in her ear. "Oh, I will know, Granger....you have a party at Malfoy manor to attend in a week's time. Father will get the first turn, but I'll get the second with our new Mudblood toy." His hand traced the inside of her thigh under her skirt, and she tensed, her hand freezing in the act of slicing up herb leaves. He pinched her leg, causing her to wince aloud in pain. "You'll be mine, Granger...I hope Snape doesn't care about you too awfully much." He scooted away, still smirking.  
  
Hermione continued to go through the motions of potions-making, tears of shame once more threatening to overflow every now and then, but she kept them in check. Every now and then Harry would look her way to give her a look of encouragement, and she would give him a watery smile. By the end of the class, she was glad that it was her last class of the day for today.   
  
The bell rang, and Hermione stood, gathering her bags. Malfoy let his hand brush her waist as he walked by, and he muttered, "I'll be seeing you," in her ear as he passed. Inwardly she shuddered, but outwardly she was composed. Once all the students left, and Snape made sure that no one lurked outside the classroom, he cast a soundproofing spell on the room and all but ran to Hermione.  
  
"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked softly.   
  
She looked up, and he saw tears in her eyes, and her chin wobbled slightly. "No," she choked out before she started crying.  
  
He sat down beside her, not knowing what to do. It wasn't often that he was confronted by a woman in tears. So he did the most logical thing - he put his arm around her, and let her cry into his robes. "Shh-hh...It'll be all right..."  
  
Her sobs subsided after a few minutes, and she dried her tears. "I'm sorry," she said shakily. "I shouldn't be crying like a baby....oh, I've gotten your robes wet...and I can never remember the drying charm..."  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said, handing her a handkerchief, which she accepted, dabbing her eyes. "I know it's upsetting, Hermione, but what did he tell you?"  
  
Hermione clenched the handkerchief tightly. "That I was going to be his and his father's whore at the party," she said bluntly, looking on the verge of tears again. "And the scary thing is...there's not much of a way to get out of it."  
  
"Oh, Hermione..." he said softly. "I'm so sorry....we can figure out something..."  
  
"Like what, Severus? If I appear too timid about it, they'll automatically see through this! I have to be there." She stubbornly wiped at the tears that remained on her cheeks. "One minute problem, however..."  
  
"Only one?" asked Severus sarcastically.  
  
"Well, it's a big one...Severus, I don't even know how to have sex. I'm a virgin."  
  
Okay, Snape admitted to himself. That could be a slight problem.  
  
~  
  
"Headmaster, I respectfully will not allow Miss Granger to go and jeapordize her life senselessly! It's pointless for her to go to this, Albus, I -"  
  
"Severus, if I don't go, we're both as good as dead!" Hermione snapped.  
  
"And if you do go, Lucius Malfoy will -"  
  
"That's preferable to death, Severus!"  
  
"Will you shut up, for once, you bossy, know-it-all -"  
  
"Severus!" Dumbledore cut him off, watching the two glare daggers at one another. "Both of you will sit down, immediately," he said sharply, "And we will discuss this matter before us."  
  
Still glaring at each other, they sank down into the two chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. The Headmaster thought he might very well have laughed at the scene unfolding before him if the situation had not been as grave as it was. "Now....Miss Granger, I believe that Mr. Malfoy wanted you to be his - ah - entertainment at this upcoming party?"  
  
Hermione nodded, her chin stuck out stubbornly. "Professor...if I just stay by Snape the entire time, I'll be relatively safe, won't I? I mean, if I don't go, they're going to kill Severus and I anyways. What have I to lose?"  
  
"Your maidenhood," muttered Snape, and Hermione went crimson. "Hermione, you've already sacrificed your reputation, why give more?"  
  
Hermione stood to her feet abruptly, nearly upsetting the chair, and making Snape and Dumbledore jump. She whirled around to face him, her hands clenched at her sides, and her eyes ablaze with what Snape could describe only as red-hot anger. If he wouldn't have been slightly taken aback, he would have amusedly compared her to paintings of the goddesses of Greece exhibiting their wrath.   
  
"Severus Snape," she seethed, taking a step forward, looming over him as he did to her countless times in class, "Let me make something very, very clear to you. I am one teenage girl who is a witch, not important to terribly many people, and while my magical abilities are above average, they are not things like wandless magic and such. Voldemort, on the other hand, is an extremely powerful wizard with quite literally thousands of eager followers, awaiting his signal to sweep this land clear of any witch or wizard who opposes him. If I - a normal, teenage girl - can sacrifice a few small trivial things to bring down a wizard the likes of Voldemort, you can be sure that I will be willing to sacrifice far more than a few small trivial things to make sure that Voldemort doesn't continue killing innocent men, women, and children!"  
  
She stood, her shoulders still shaking, for a few moments. There was silence. And then Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"Miss Granger..." He motioned for her to sit, and she did, albeit reluctantly. "I am...greatful for your willingness to sacrifice all for the Cause. However...you are more than above average, Hermione. You are one of the brightest students we've ever seen here at Hogwarts, and you must, must, must remember that. Promise me you will never again underestimate yourself."  
  
Hermione looked from Dumbledore to Snape, and then back again. "I....I promise, sir."  
  
Dumbledore gave her a brief, wearied smile before turning to Snape, looking grave again. "Severus, I must order you, as head of the Order of the Phoenix, to go to this meeting."  
  
"But -"  
  
Dumbledore held up his hand. "I know it's dangerous, Severus. I know that we shouldn't expose Miss Granger to it. But we have no choice. Would you rather her die?" Snape quieted, and Dumbledore jotted something down on a bit of parchment, stowing it in his desk. "Now I suggest you go back to your quarters and talk this out. You have exactly...six days until this party. If there is...certain attire Miss Granger needs, Severus, see to it that she is taken to purchase it. That will be all."  
  
Hermione stood and gave a small curtsy, Snape gave a slight nod of his head, and they exited the headmaster's office. It was done. For what Albus Dumbledore decreed was as good as law.  
  
~  
~The Night Before The Party~  
  
Hermione and Snape had been silent most of the evening. He was sitting on the couch, grading essays, and she was sitting on the floor by the hearth, pretending to read Hogwarts, A History. The words in front of her were not what was on her mind.  
  
"Severus?" she asked quietly. He looked up from his papers. "What...what will it be like?"  
  
"The party? Well -"  
  
"No, Severus. The....well, um..."  
  
"Oh, that," he said uncomfortably. He stacked the papers together and sat them on the table beside him, and motioned for her to join him on the couch. "Hermione, do you know -anything- about what's going to happen?"  
  
"I know it'll hurt...." she said quietly.  
  
He nodded. "Yes, it probably will. If that even ends up happening...I intend to keep you as close to me as possible."  
  
"We all know how likely that will be," said Hermione sarcastically. Then she sighed. "Severus, if for some reason...I...I die, or something...you will explain to Harry and Ron, won't you?"  
  
"Nothing will happen to you, Hermione, I promise. You'll be writing your own songs."  
  
They sat in silence for a few moments before Hermione spoke. "I think what I hate the most is the fact I'll be losing my virginity to a complete stranger who hates Muggle-born witches and thinks that I'm a whore." She sat in silence for a moment, brooding, until she suddenly laughed.  
  
"What?" asked Snape, confused.  
  
Hermione giggled. "I'm sitting here, discussing losing my virginity with my potions professor." Her eyes went wide, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh....that didn't sound right."  
  
Snape smiled. "It's all right."  
  
Hermione let her hands come down, and she sat in silence for a few more moments. And that's when she got an idea....Slowly, she stood up, mentally searching through the facts, consequences, and other byproducts of her decisions. "Severus."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're attractive."  
  
Snape was taken aback. "Thank you, although I'm sure I don't really agree with you..."  
  
She cut him off. "Severus, I want you to sleep with me," she said bluntly.  
  
Snape looked at her as if she'd grown another head that bore the resemblance of Crabbe. "What...what did you say, Hermione?"  
  
"You heard what I said, don't make this any more difficult!" snapped Hermione, stamping her foot. "Sleep with me."  
  
Snape stood, and laid a hand on her forehead. "Child, do you have a temperature -"  
  
"No, I don't have a temperature, and no, I'm not a child, and no, I haven't been drinking!" Hermione grabbed his hands and tucked her own small ones in his. "Please, Severus. I know it's uncomfortable, I know it's not proper, and I know that you're older than me. But you're one of my closest friends, and I'd much rather lose my virginity to you than that jackass Malfoy."  
  
Snape noticed her hands were cold and slightly damp - she's nervous, he thought. Her eyes pleaded with him, and he sighed. "Hermione this is a -permanent- decision. I don't feel privlidged enough to take something that precious from you."  
  
"And who the hell else is going to? Harry? He's too damned honorable, he has a girlfriend! Ron? He's not bloody talking to me, Severus, and I'm supposed to be your mistress anyways!"  
  
"But we're student and teacher -"  
  
"Severus," said Hermione, in a voice that he was sure could frighten Voldemort himself, "Please. I'll never ask you for anything again. Please....I need this to happen. I'm not losing my virginity due to rape, and I'm not losing it to a Malfoy! I may not have much honor, but I do have more honor than that!"  
  
Severus looked her in the eyes, brushing a stray bit of hair out of her face. "Hermione, you are a beautiful young woman throwing herself at a man who hasn't been loved since he was your age. Are you entirely sure of what you are doing?"  
  
"Damn it, Severus, yes! Now can we do it? You don't have to make it romantic, you don't have to make it enjoyable. I just...I just..." She looked down at the floor, and he could see her cheeks were flaming.   
  
"Hermione," he said softly, drawing her chin up so his eyes met hers, "If you are going to give up something special for me, and give yourself up at a party full of death eaters, and what else there might be, I am going to attempt to make it somewhat romantic and enjoyable, because you deserve it."   
  
And before Hermione could even register what exactly was going on, Snape had bent down and kissed her. It was enjoyable, although not filled with passion nor love. He drew away, and with a wave of his wand, the lights were gone, and candles floated in midair. Hermione looked down, and saw she was wearing the lingerie she'd gotten for Christmas as her gag gift....and Snape was wearing the boxers she'd gotten him. Despite the fact that she was sure this was a moment to be serious, Hermione laughed. Snape rolled his eyes, and waved his wand - her lingerie turned Slytherin green. She rolled her eyes in return. "Really mature, Severus."  
  
"Hermione," he asked softly. "Are you...absolutely positive...that you want to do this?"  
  
Hermione's stomach flipped nervously. She looked down at the floor, studying the stones intently for a few moments, before she looked up and nodded.  
  
~  
  
Severus awoke around eight o' clock the next morning, thanking the gods and goddesses that it was Saturday. If he had to face droves of people right now, he was almost sure he'd blurt out what he'd done due to guilt. Next to him, Hermione stirred, but didn't awake. He looked at her...she was beautiful, and he was greatful to have a friend such as her. But at the same time, he felt guilt on his soul for having to take her in to his world.  
  
Shaking his head a bit to clear the cobwebs, he rose from the bed and grabbed for his robe, cinching it tightly. He wasn't a drinker, but he felt as if a brandy might be just the thing he needed. He poured some and drank, feeling a bit more steadier on his feet almost instantaneously. His eyes wandered to the figure asleep in his bed. Hurriedly, he grabbed the essays that needed to be graded to preoccupy himself until that figure could awake and maybe dress herself.  
  
~  
  
Hermione awoke to a sound that she was sure not many women awoke to after making love - the scratching of a quill against rough parchment. Gingerly she opened her eyes to survey the man before her.  
  
Snape was sitting in the chair by the fire, grading the essays she'd distracted him from last night. He was sheathed in a blue robe, and his brow was furrowed in concentration as he slashed through students' words with red ink. She sat up slowly, and he did not notice, continuing with his corrections. Hermione realized her lack of clothing, and quickly snatched up the sheets, blushing profusely. The sudden movement distracted Snape, and he looked over at her. She gave him a small smile.  
  
"Good morning," she said softly.  
  
He returned her smile. "Good morning, Hermione."  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"It's nine o' clock."  
  
"Oh....I've slept in, then."   
  
"Yes, my friend, you have," he said, smiling amusedly at her flustered state. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Ahh...yes, of course." Hermione smoothed her touseled hair. "Would you mind if I took a shower?"  
  
"Of course not. You know where the bathroom is," he said, waving in the direction of the lavatory.   
  
Hermione looked around the bed desperately for her robes, but saw that they were across the room on the back of a chair. All that was beside her was the lingerie she'd worn last night....and her socks. She snorted with laughter.  
  
Snape looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "What's so funny?"  
  
Hermione was still chortling. "I was just sitting here, trying to figure out how I could clothe myself so I could walk to the bathroom, and all I can find is lingerie and a pair of plaid knee socks. And I have this odd sort of feeling that you probably saw me rather naked last night."  
  
There was amusement in Snape's eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched. "Ten points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger." Then he grinned. "Actually, you *did* earn some points for Gryffindor last night...."  
  
Giving him a slight smile, Hermione got out of the warm bed and headed for the bathroom to mull things over in the shower.  
  
~  
  
Well once more I tell the shadows of my soul   
To stay back   
Everything has changed now   
And I don't want to go back   
And nothing you can say can change my mind   
-Again, from "That Made Me Stronger" by Stevie Nicks  
~  
Author's Note - Are you all going to kill me? :-) Please don't....I'd rather like to live so I can go to my first prom....I've already got the dress and everything! Now I just need a date.....*mutters to self* PLEASE review! I gave you an extra-long chapter! *gives readers a pleading look* please? please? And I suggest you either go buy "Trouble in Shangri-La" by Stevie Nicks or download the song to listen to...tha'ts a good song, partly inspiration for the dialogue about "losing her virginity to the potions professor". No idea why...okay, now i'm going to go get some benadryl...from the way my hand's swelling up, it appears that I've developed an allergic reaction to this band-aid....review please!  
  
-Alicia Marie/Jaimes 


	5. Musings

The Dark's Mistress  
Chapter Five  
By Alicia Marie Jennings  
~  
  
There is so much going on   
You could easily   
Wake up with a stranger   
It's not something you plan   
One night in a world of pain   
And you finally understand   
Not all the king's horses, not all the king's men   
Could put it back together   
-Stevie Nicks "Fall From Grace"  
  
~  
  
"Okay, let's run through this again...."  
  
"Speak only when spoken to, and keep my eyes on the floor."  
  
"Correct. If you meet Voldemort?"  
  
"Grovel profusely."  
  
"Correct. Your parents are....?"  
  
"Dead, they died in a car crash in October. My younger sister, Mirianne, was with them."  
  
"Very good. If someone asks you to go with them....?"  
  
"You'll say something to make sure I stay beside you."  
  
"Correct again...and if Lucius Malfoy approaches...?"  
  
"You'll chew him out and say I'm your property."  
  
"Right you are....and if for some reason I am not able to deter him?"  
  
Hermione swallowed. "Just lay quietly and let him have his way."  
  
Severus winced at her fear. "Do not appear overly timid...just obedient. If you appear too frightened, they will only use that against you. Do you understand?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "Yes, sir."  
  
She was wearing tight-fitted robes of a deep, dark green. He still wore black, but they were robes of a better quality cloth and a better cut. They made a striking couple, Hermione mused. Snape was quite handsome tonight, or at least in her opinion. And she didn't look half-bad, either.  
  
"Right." He pulled a Portkey, a Muggle ballpoint pen, out of his dresser, and held it in front of him. She gingerly reached out to grasp it.  
  
Snape looked at the clock on the wall. "Ten seconds....five.....two, one -"  
  
They were quickly whisked away.  
~  
  
Before she really wanted to be there, they were landing in the Malfoy's entryway, a vast concoction of heavy gray stone and old, dark tapestries. That was all she caught before she glued her eyes to the floor.  
  
"Severus, you've arrived," murmurred a voice...cold, clipped...that Hermione recognized as Lucius Malfoy's. "And I see you've brought the harlot as well." She sensed, rather than saw, him turn to her. "Look up at me, girl."  
  
Willing herself not to glare, she looked up at his face, which had a sneer imprinted on it. "Not at all bad, for a Mudblood, Severus...I might have to borrow her services sometime."  
  
"Why don't you find your own toys, Lucius?" Snape drawled, roughly grabbing her around the waist. "Some of us are quite possesive of ours."  
  
Hermione quickly looked down to the floor again, but managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of the purely evil look that Malfoy had given Snape. Before Malfoy could reply, Snape dragged Hermione off.  
  
"That was convincing," she murmurred under her breath.  
  
"It was meant to be," he murmurred back to her, clutching her more tightly if possible. Hermione shivered, and she was sure that it wasn't from the cold halls of Malfoy manor, or even from Severus' touch. Inwardly, she acknowledged it was raw fear.  
  
What the hell was she doing here? Why was she important? Gods....she was just Hermione Granger. The bookworm...the one with the bushy brown hair and buckteeth (well, not anymore....but still). The one who was the "insufferable know-it-all". The one who'd befriended Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley after they saved her from a mountain troll. The one who'd figured out what it was in the school that was Petrifying the students - and had then been Petrified herself. The one who'd been made a Prefect, the one who'd been accepted into the Order of the Phoenix with her friend Harry. The one who'd been made Head Girl. And now, the girl who had somehow become Severus Snape's "mistress". The man who was her Potions proffessor, the man who was a Deatheater and....a spy. The man who risked his life every time he donned heavy black robes and a mask that obscured his face.  
  
Severus stopped, and she was jerked out from her musings, which she thought was probably a good thing. After all, it appeared as if they stood at the entry to Voldemort's throne room. Wormtail was standing guard at the enterance, an impressive sword in his hands. Hermione thought to herself, with a touch of humor, that if it came to blows that Peter would run as fast as his short legs would carry him, dropping the sword in his haste.  
  
"You may enter," he said, motioning his hand to the door which had magically opened.  
  
Hermione looked and nearly screamed. However, Severus Snape stood firm, his eyes nonsurprised...and it was somewhat a tragic scene as two stood before Lord Voldemort.  
  
~  
  
Years later, Hermione still wondered how she'd managed through that horrible, horrible night. She'd met Voldemort and been made an honorary Death Eater. She'd had to listen to Narcissa Malfoy and all the other Death Eater wives at the party carry on about trivial things like silver tea sets. And Snape had stuck to her like glue through it all...never once allowing her to be anywhere near either of the Malfoys. And was she ever eternally greatful for that......!  
  
~  
  
Hermione walked the Hogwarts ground, enjoying the solitude of the sunset hour. She was not supposed to be outside the castle, but the opportunity to be alone was overwhelming her. She missed having privacy, although she had to admit that Snape gave her as much as he possibly could while sharing quarters with her. Snape...she sighed. Ever since that night...she was unsure of what her feelings were towards him. And although she had not been...the "entertainment" at that party, she did not regret what she'd done that night with him. It was more than friendship, she was almost sure. There was something...some new spark there she'd never noticed before. Could it be love...? Hermione smiled to herself, sitting down beside the lake. In love with a teacher...who would've thought? She closed her eyes, a serene look crossing her face.  
  
Hermione felt a presence behind her. "Severus?" she murmurred, not opening her eyes. "Is that you?"  
  
"You wish," a voice murmurred.   
  
Hermione opened her eyes in fright as something connected with her skull. Her vision faded, and she knew no more.  
  
~  
  
A/N: sorry it's so short but it's better than nothing! i apologize for taking a long time to update, it's been a very hard past few months for me. my aunt's passed away and i've had finals and my friends are graduating and tons of other junk. i'll try and have another chapter up soon. i want to finish this before the summer b/c i will be away from home for six weeks at a gifted/talented program. i love you all, please review.  
  
love and hugs, jaimes "alicia" 


	6. Severus please get here

The Dark's Mistress  
  
By Alicia Marie Jennings  
  
~  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Within The Lair, Within The Dark  
  
~  
  
*Oh God...my head...gods my head hurts like hell....what did I do? Did I get drunk last night? No, I'm not that stupid...most of the time..." Hermione moaned, clutching her head, trying to sit upright without spilling the contents of her stomach out on the cold floor on which she lay. Well, she didn't know too much about hangovers, but her head felt as if she had the worst one of the century. She wondered if she should be brave enough to open her eyes to see whose room in which she lay right now.  
  
She was in a dungeon. And it wasn't a Hogwarts dungeon, she knew that much. After all, Hermione had seen her fair share of the Hogwarts dungeons in the past years...she'd seen even more of them as of late. Moving slowly, Hermione crawled to the door and reached for the handle - locked. She reached to her sash to grab her wand, only to find that it was gone.   
  
Grumbling out several curses, Hermione slumped to the floor, passing out again as the words "Severus better get here soon" crossed her lips.  
  
~  
  
She awoke later, much later, for as much as she could tell. When she'd awoken earlier, it had been early afternoon as far as she could tell - the sun was still high in the sky. Now it was night - the moon had risen and was a quarter of a way through its' journey across the night sky. Her head had cleared somewhat, and she was able to stand, albeit on shaky legs. Whatever spell had been cast on her or potion given to her had a harsh effect, one with origins in the Dark Arts, she was sure. The only option it seemed, at the moment, was to do what her mother and father had told her to do when she'd had ballet injuries in her youth - "Walk it off".   
  
So, Hermione did just that. She began to pace, and pace...and pace. Wild thoughts crisscrossed her brain....who had taken her? Voldemort? The Malfoys? Both? Or was it simply some random psychopath holding her for ransom? Obviously they were wizards or intelligent Muggles, seeing as her wand was gone. However, they'd not taken her gift from Severus - the emerald and ruby necklace he'd given her. Hermione was intelligent enough to know he'd placed a tracking charm on it. She willed herself to be calm.  
  
When she tired of walking, she sat down and did stretches she'd done in her ballet classes. Then, feeling completely foolish, she began to dance to a song from one of her various recitals to keep calm. The music played in her head, a comforting melody.  
  
The night wore on. Hermione danced all she could remember from her years of ballet, making up steps to the parts she couldn't remember. Then, she recited the recipes to the Fifteen Truth Potions, and then the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood. When she tired of that, she tried to recite "Hogwarts: A History". She managed to make it to page three hundred and forty five before dawn came.   
  
With the dawn came a guard.  
  
~  
  
"Albus, they've taken her to the secret lair!" Severus was pointing at a map of Scotland, to a remote cliff. "It's somewhere around there. There's an ancient wizard castle, with dungeons and...and...." He broke off. "Albus, we have to get to her!" he said, brokenly. "They'll torture her!"  
  
"But Professor, it's a trap!" said Harry desperately. "I want to get to her as much as you do, but what good will it do if you are both killed?"  
  
"I will have less guilt on my soul, Potter, if I go to die for her!" Snape rounded on Harry, and was taken aback when the boy didn't so much as flinch. "If someone doesn't go, she will indeed die very soon."  
  
Silence settled on the room like a heavy, unwanted blanket on a hot summer's day. Snape collapsed into a chair, looking defeated. Minerva McGonagall failed to choke back a dry sob. Even Dumbledore's eyes had lost their merriment, it seemed, in this bleak situation.   
  
The Order of the Phoenix sat in silence for eternity. One chair sat empty...Hermione's chair, between Harry and Snape. It seemed to be glaring out at them, serving as a reminder that one of their number's lives was in grave danger.  
  
"Well," said Harry, rising, "What would you have us to do, Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
Remus Lupin stood to his feet as well. "We will fight to the death, Albus."  
  
"No one should die," said Dumbledore forcefully. "Not in this way, anyways..." He clasped gnarled, aged hands on the table, deep in thought. It struck Harry that Dumbledore didn't look as invincible as he once did, but rather old and tired. "Nearly everyone deserves to live to a ripe old age, to watch their grandchildren and great grandchildren play on their front lawn without a care in the world, to worry about how many cupcakes are needed to be made for a birthday party..." He gazed into nothingness for a few moments, before he focused his gaze on Severus. "Do you wish for Miss Granger to live, Severus?"  
  
"More than anything!" he said vehemently.  
  
"Would you be willing to sacrifice your own life for hers?"  
  
"I'd be willing to go through hell," Severus whispered. "She's innocent, Albus...she's never done anything wrong to deserve what Voldemort has in store for her....she's one of the brightest students Hogwarts has ever seen."  
  
The Order looked at one another...what did Voldemort have in store for Hermione? Dumbledore looked at the broken man before him, who was so obviously apprehensive of what he was about to go face.  
  
"Then go, Severus," said Dumbledore softly. "And we will come should the need arise."  
  
Severus looked to those around him. Harry Potter...the Boy Who Lived, who was the best friend to the person he was trying to save, looked composed despite the fact that "Snape the greasy git" was going into the fray and not him. Remus Lupin simply nodded, looking grave. Minerva McGonagall swiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "Bring her back, Severus," she said softly.  
  
"I -" He was forced to acknowledge the fact that there was a lump in his throat. "I will try my best."  
  
"No!" she said forcefully, grasping his arm. "You will bring her back."  
  
~  
  
"Hermione Granger..." Voldemort took a sip of wine. "We meet....again."  
  
"What a pleasure," said Hermione, sarcasm lacing her tones. The death eater holding her arms behind her back jerked her, and she turned her head to glare at him. "Pray tell, why am I here?"  
  
Voldemort rose from his chair and signaled the death eater to let go of her. Hermione jerked her arms away, rubbing them to restore the circulation. She winced as feeling began to come back to her fingers. The death eater left the spacious room, closing the door behind him.   
  
Voldemort came to her, and she fought down repulsion. A long, white finger stroked her cheek.  
  
"There are....many....reasons, my dear," he said softly. "For one, your brilliance. You have beaten every academic record I held at Hogwarts...a feat unheard of, especially since you are a Mudblood...."  
  
"Do not call me that!" Hermione spat.  
  
Voldemort continued on as if he had not heard her. "You helped Harry past the obstacles guarding the Sorcerer's Stone at the age of eleven. You knew what lurked in the Chamber of Secrets. You helped prepare him for the Triwizard Tournament in your fourth year. In your fifth year, you were inducted into the Order of the Phoenix. And now, you are currently Hogwarts' Head Girl."  
  
Hermione crossed her arms in defiance. "Somehow, I believe that you did not bring me here to discuss my academic accomplishments."  
  
"No," said Voldemort, eyeing her. "You are beautiful, do you not know that? And given your status as a woman...I am sure you are quite conniving."  
  
"The point of my presence here, please!" Hermione snapped.  
  
"Hermione, my dear, I would like you to join me."  
  
"I have a fear of tatoos," Hermione retorted, her chin jauntily held high.  
  
"And that is not all," Voldemort snapped. He stroked her cheek again, and Hermione bit her lip. "I want you to produce my heir."  
  
There was a sharp intake of breath from Hermione as she stood next to possibly the most evil wizard to walk the earth. "I will not be your damn concubine," she fumed. "You will never - EVER - touch me that way."  
  
"Ahh, that's the problem," said Voldemort, snapping his fingers. Two death eaters entered the room. "You see, you have to be a willing participant in order for my added powers to be passed along to my heir. Knowing that you have that stubborn Gryffindor foolishness in you, I've arranged for Lucius and Draco here to...do a little convincing, should we say. She is all yours," said Voldemort, grinning evilly at the small spark of fear in Hermione's eyes.  
  
"Crucio!"  
  
Pain, immense pain....and then all was inky darkness as she fainted away.  
  
~  
  
A/N - oh come on people! please give me some reviews!!! I beg of you! thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter...claire we've got to talk so much has happened!!!   
  
Love ya~*~Jaimes "Alicia" 


	7. Here he comes to save the day!

The Dark's Mistress  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
By Alicia Marie Jennings  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A figure clad in black knelt at the feet of Lord Voldemort. Trembling only slightly, he leaned forward and kissed the hem of the evil minion's robe, and then, raising his head, kissed the ring on Voldemort's finger.  
  
"Ahh, my faithful servant..." said Voldemort, smiling a thin, lipless smile. "You shall be rewarded, my faithful one. For we have the Granger girl in custody."  
  
"Very good, m'lord," said the servant, speaking softly.  
  
"With your contributions, I will now have an heir. Two of our number are...doing a bit of "convincing", shall we say...she shall submit to me soon. She must submit to me soon..." Voldemort looked at his hands. "I am dying, faithful one...see? My skin is betraying me already..." Clasping his hands again, Voldemort spoke again. "As long as I can hold on until the baby is born...then I can formally invest him as my heir before I pass on. However...a protector will be installed until my heir is of age."  
  
"Who will this be, m'lord, if you do not care if I ask?"  
  
"As your reward, I will install you as protectorate until my heir has reached the age of eighteen. You have earned it, my faithful one."  
  
Seamus Finnigan smiled.  
  
~  
  
Hermione awoke, shivering, and wincing at newfound injuries. Her blouse was torn, her arms were bloody and her head was pounding once more. She sensed a presence in the room.  
  
She was not alone.  
  
Hermione moved to sit up, but the cell door was thrown open and she was scooped up into the arms of a Death Eater. She passed out again, not wanting to awake ever again.  
  
~  
  
"Ron, Ginny, we need to talk," said Harry firmly. He had just entered the common room to see the two Weasley siblings in the middle of a game of chess.  
  
"Can't it wait?" Ron said, exasperation lacing his tones. "I've almost got Ginny checkmated -"  
  
"Ron, we need to talk now."  
  
"Harry -" Ron was cut off by Harry slamming his fist down on the chessboard, scattering the pieces across the board and onto the common room floor.  
  
"Damn it, Ron, I said we needed to talk! It's about Hermione!"  
  
"She never talks to us anymore, Harry! What should I have to do with her?"  
  
Harry grabbed Ron's collar, pulling him out of the chair and putting his nose very close to Ron's. "Did it ever occur to you," Harry seethed, his voice low, "That Hermione might be doing something to save us all from Voldemort? You know she's in the Order. Didn't it *ever* occur to you that she might be on Order business?" From the way Ron's mouth was opening and closing like a fish, Harry could see that it hadn't. "Good God, Ron. I myself am gone a lot. I can't always hang around with you anymore. We're nearly adults! We have obligations to fulfill!"   
  
Harry released Ron, who stumbled backwards, rubbing at his throat. Harry's shoulders slumped, and he sat down roughly on the couch. Ginny came over, timidly, and sat beside him. When he didn't look over at her, she took his hand gently and spoke aloud, her voice trembling.  
  
"She's been taken, hasn't she?"  
  
Ron's eyes grew large, and he looked at Harry, whose head was in his hands. Harry raised his head and nodded.  
  
Tears began to course down Ginny's cheeks.  
  
~  
  
"Awaken...awaken my temptress...awake and see what awaits you..."  
  
The voice Hermione was hearing seemed to be coming from a thick, hazy fog. She moaned softly, not sure if she wanted to wake and live or to slip back into darkness and pray that Thanatos come to collect her. The voice kept calling and try as she might, she could not make herself go back to the darkness. She opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the light. *If I had been run over by a herd of hippogriffs, I'd feel better than this,* she thought, as her brain began registering the pinpricks of pain all over her body. *Pinpricks? No, make that full-fledged hypodermic needles...oh Hermione, shut up, only you would be thinking thoughts such as this...* She sat up slowly, and unlike last time managed to stay conscious.   
  
Her clothing had changed. She was now wearing something silk...green silk...it was a very short nightie, with a deep plunging neckline, held up with spaghetti straps. On her feet were green silk ballet-esque slippers, and she wore a floor-length black lace bed jacket over all. And then she really blushed - for she realized she wore no underwear beneath this getup.  
  
"Ahh yes, Hermione...I do hope you didn't mind us slipping you into something a bit more...comfortable." Voldemort lounged on his throne. In his relaxed state he was not only not as scary, but Hermione could also view his decaying state of health. There were bluish tinges around the thin mouth, and quite frankly...he looked frail. Fearing she might be ill if she looked at him longer, she averted her eyes, only to see a darkly-clad figure lying on the floor a short distance away from her. She crawled over and gently laid a hand on the figure's shoulder, turning him toward her.  
  
"Hermione..."  
  
"Severus!" Her chin trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh love, what have they done to you?!?!" Snape was bruised, battered, cut...she lay a hand to his forehead. He burned with fever. Keeping her own cool hand on his forehead, she turned to face Voldemort, her eyes reflecting anger. "He's got to receive medical attention! He'll die! Please, please, send him back to Hogwarts!"  
  
Voldemort sighed. "My dear...I can only send Severus back...for a price. For a price that only you can pay."  
  
Hermione looked at Severus...the man she loved. The man who had fought so hard for the Resistance, and who was near death. Looking at him, Hermione figured that it would take only one more well-placed hex to finish him off...but if she were to do Voldemort's bidding...perhaps he would be sent back..  
  
"Hermione..." Severus whispered, his voice full of pain, "It's a trap. Don't do it. You won't accomplish anything!"  
  
Hermione took his hand, trying to soothe him. "Severus, I can't just sit here and watch you die! I have to try."  
  
"Hermione, please -" He began to cough. Hermione's eyes widened in horror as little flecks of blood appeared on his hand where he held it to cover his mouth. When he recovered, he continued. "Please don't do this!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Severus," Hermione said softly, before placing a feather-light kiss on his lips. "But I must."  
  
"Hermione!" She stood, facing Voldemort. Snape sat up. "Hermione, no!"  
  
She simply looked at the Dark Lord and nodded. Snape collapsed back onto the ground again, unconscious.  
  
~  
  
A vision danced in front of his eyes.  
  
Two adults, whom he didn't know. Muggles, he could tell, by their clothing. Held tightly in the woman's arms was a little bundle, wrapped up in a pink blanket with lace trim. Inside was a beautiful baby girl, with wispy light brown hair...Hermione.  
  
A flash. The scene had changed. Now it was a little girl sitting in a gradeschool classroom. As her classmates struggled to finish their work, she sat, bored, having completed it all. The teacher looked at it, marking it with a zero. "You must have cheated. No first grader can finish this that quickly."  
  
Flash. A seven-year-old girl with frizzy hair, tucked back in a bow, cradling a baby. Of course...her younger sister, Juliet. Her mother joined them, and her father took a Polaroid of the three.  
  
Flash...an eleven year old girl, insecure, putting on a bossy facade to hide the fact that she had entered a world she was unfarmiliar with. She talked with two young boys, one with messy black hair, a scar, and a pair of broken glasses. With a flash of her wand, the glasses were like new.  
  
Flash. Fourteen, in periwinkle robes, her hair swept up elegantly in a smooth bun, waltzing with Durmstrang champion of the Triwizard tournament, Viktor Krum. Potter looked on with astonishment, Weasley, with jealousy. He himself had observed her that night, and marveled at the woman she had become.  
  
Flash, Dumbledore's office. He sat beside a frightened seventeen year old, and watched himself and her converse. They rose from their chairs and exited the office together, an invisible bond between them.  
  
The reason she was here...is because she wanted to save his life.  
  
She cared for him.  
  
She even loved him.  
  
Snape wrenched away from the world of dreams, coming, full force, into the world of wakefulness. He arrived just in time to see the doors burst open, light sillhouetting a slim figure in black Hogwarts robes in the doorway.  
  
~  
  
"TOM RIDDLE! YOU WILL TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER NOW!"  
  
Snape started at hearing Harry Potter burst out like so. There was raw power behind his words, he could sense it. And apparently, so could Voldemort. He flung Hermione away roughly, and she landed on the floor next to Severus.  
  
Harry moved quickly. In one smooth motion, he had crossed the room, arriving at the dais. He grabbed two wands - Severus' and Hermione's - and flung them towards their owners. And then the fight began.  
  
"Severus?" Hermione laid a hand on his forehead. "Oh, Severus, please wake up, I need you more than ever..."  
  
|I'm awake, I just can't muster the energy to make a noise!| he thought furiously. He kept trying while she administered healing spells, finally extracting a nearly soundless moan.  
  
"Severus?" she whispered, daring to hope. She finished the healing spells, and he felt his energy slowly ebbing back to him. "Oh thank the Gods you're all right."  
  
"Of course I am, love," he said softly. He quickly gave her a kiss. "No matter what happens, I'll always love you."  
  
"And I you." Hermione grabbed her wand, and handed Snape his.  
  
"On three..." She murmurred, joining Harry, Snape alongside her. "One...two..."  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Green light erupted, sending Voldemort backwards. Hermione, Harry and Snape stepped forward, and Hermione nearly tripped over something that made a metallic noise against the rough stone floor. She bent down to pick up a sword, briefly looking at the hilt, which was encrusted with rubies.  
  
Godric Gryffindor.  
  
Suddenly, it was as if Hermione had known all along what she must do. She looked at Voldemort's fallen form, her hand tightening around the hilt. Something gleamed in her eyes. It was courage...it was fear, all at once. She quickly strode over to the body, raising the sword high, over her head, and drove it through the black heart of Lord Voldemort.  
  
~  
  
Sorry I haven't posted in so long...please review! Only one more chapter!  
  
Love Alicia 


	8. Voldemort's demise, and epilogue

The Dark's Mistress  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
By Alicia Jennings  
  
"That was for my dignity." Drawing it out again, she stabbed it back through. "And that was for Severus." Hermione's hands trembled, and she let go of the sword. Harry and Severus hurriedly grabbed her arms, shielding her, even though the villian posed no threat now. Voldemort sank to the floor, the sword still through his chest.  
  
"I surrender..." he murmurred, his speech slurred by the blood slowly collecting in his throat. "I surrender..."  
  
Hermione turned her face into Severus' chest, too horrified by the blood and gore. The compound began to shake on it's foundation, and as Harry and Severus watched, Voldemort's body simply turned to ash and dust.  
  
And suddenly...all was still. The last wisp of dust settled, the fortress stopped shaking. The air that had once been stale and putrid was now pure.  
  
Severus looked at his arm, and gasped. "Hermione...look..."   
  
Hermione opened her eyes to glance at his forearm. The ugly tatoo of death and destruction, of years of pain and suffering, was fading right before their very eyes.  
  
A deep rumble, from beneath their feet, snapped them out of their reverie. "The fortress! It knows its' master is dead...we must retreat!" Harry grabbed the sword, and Severus encircled an arm around Hermione.  
  
They ran for their lives, the rest of the Order running with them...They ran past empty cells, their prisoners having been released with Voldemort's death. They ran past instruments of torture, bloodstains, and bodies of dead Deatheaters - one of those Deatheaters being a classmate they had trusted, only to have been betrayed. They ran past a period of history that the three of them had closed...  
  
Together.  
  
-----  
  
Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Juliet Granger all sat in terse silence, only occasionally broken by a sniff from Juliet. The young girl was taking the situation very hard, being so close to her big sister. When Mrs. Granger attempted to calm her, Juliet became even more upset.  
  
"Albus, the've been gone so long...You don't think..." Arthur was desperate. "You don't think anything has happened to throw the rest of the Order off course, do you?"  
  
"No, Arthur..." Dumbledore's eyes were staring far off, at something indefinite. "I would feel it."  
  
Mr. Granger stood suddenly. "Quite frankly, I'm tired of relying on feelings...I'm tired of relying on superstitions and divinations and such. I'm just about very tired of my daughter's world."  
  
"Frederick..." Mrs. Granger started, touching his arm.   
  
He pulled it away quickly, and began pacing the room. "Even if Juliet is a witch, I'm not so sure about entrusting her to this world. What I've seen so far is not the best environment for my daughters."  
  
Dumbledore smiled, not of mirth. "Ahh, Mr. Granger, what of the Muggle world? Bombs and kidnappings, murders, thefts...It seems as if though no world is ideal, hmm?"  
  
Feeling chastised, Mr. Granger sat down. "I just wish we knew something."  
  
"We all do," said Mrs. Weasley softly.   
  
-----  
  
"We're almost to the main door!" Harry shouted above the din. Rubble crashed down around them. A huge chunk of rock had very narrowly missed Severus' head moments earlier. "Prepare yourselves to blast it open if it is not open already!"  
  
Everyone drew their wands, still running at breakneck speed. Hermione's lungs burned, her legs ached, but she kept going...for she had no choice. It was either run, or meet death.  
  
Hours earlier, death seemed a good option. But not now. Not while she had Severus with her.  
  
The doors were open, it turned out, and the Order made it out just in time. No sooner were they out the door when the entire structure collapsed, sending a cloud of dust to rain down upon them. The rubble settled after a few moments, and an almost eerie silence descended.  
  
It was Hermione who spoke first, surprisingly. "That was for Hogwarts," she said quietly.  
  
Then Harry spoke. "That was for my family."  
  
"A childhood lost," then said Severus softly.  
  
One by one, the Order murmurred their own tributes.   
  
"For Cedric."  
  
"For my sister."  
  
"For myself."  
  
It went on for a few more minutes, before everyone quieted. Harry turned to the group, a small smile beginning to form on his face.  
  
"I say we should head back to Hogwarts, eh?"  
  
A cheer went up as people began to Disapparate. Hermione clung tightly to Severus as he apparated them both. When they landed on the lawn in front of the castle, Hermione felt a strange weight around her hips. "What...?"  
  
Harry put an arm about her shoulders. "I figured you deserve to carry the sword of Godric Gryffindor more than anyone right now." He smiled, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
Her eyes welled up. "Thank you."  
  
Severus threw his arm around her waist then, and the three of them walked together up to the castle.  
  
-----  
  
Upon seeing figures start to appear on the front lawn, Juliet ran to the window. "Mother! Daddy! It's Hermione and Harry! And some strange man..." She ran across the office to the door. "Come on, then! I want to see them!"  
  
Laughing with relief, the group hurried after her, partly out of excitement and partly because she needed to be shown the way.   
  
Dumbledore smiled. He knew, all along, that things would turn out all right. And maybe even a little matchmaking had occurred...?  
  
McGonagall read his mind and playfully swatted his shoulder. "Albus. Come now. No playing Cupid."  
  
"Me?" He pretended to be dumbfounded. "Why I haven't the slightest clue of what you speak of, my dear Minerva."  
  
-----  
  
Hermione saw the castle doors open, and the Weasleys, Juliet, and her parents came running out onto the lawn.   
  
"Juliet!" Hermione ran ahead, throwing her arms open wide to receive the young girl. They fell on their knees in an embrace, both crying tears of joy.   
  
"I love you so much," Hermione whispered into her sister's hair. "I'm so glad that this is all over and I can see you again."  
  
The Weasleys had enveloped Harry in a bone-crushing hug. The rest of the Order stood together, embracing one another, laughing and crying.   
  
The only one who stood alone was Severus Snape. He had no family to come and recieve him, no friends. He stood quietly, watching as Hermione hugged her sister, then her father and mother. The moment for him was terribly bittersweet.  
  
Hermione drew away from the big embrace of her father, mother, and sister. "Mother...Daddy...Juliet...There is someone I want you to meet." Smiling at him, Hermione walked over and grabbed Severus' hand, leading him over to meet them. "This man is Severus Snape. He is the one reason I'm standing here this very moment, and you all as well. He very nearly lost his life trying to save me at Voldemort's fortress."  
  
Severus had his hands jammed in his pockets, and his eyes firmly fixated on his shoes. "For all the good it did," he mumbled.  
  
He was snapped out of his trance when Mrs. Granger took his arm gently. "Severus?" He looked up.   
  
"Thank you," she said softly, before embracing him. At first Severus looked shocked, but then relaxed and returned the embrace. Juliet also hugged him, and Mr. Granger shook his hand vigorously and clapped him on the back.  
  
They were interrupted by Dumbledore appearing on the front steps and clapping his hands for attention. "If you will all please come inside, we can address the students."  
  
Hermione smiled. One of her hands grasped Severus', the other Juliet's. They all began to enter the castle. As Hermione and Severus walked by Dumbledore, he held them back, along with Harry.  
  
"You three stay with me. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Juliet, please have a seat with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Nodding, they went on.   
  
"I believe," began Dumbledore, smiling at the three of them, "You three could explain some things to us?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Harry, grinning.  
  
They entered the Great Hall, full of students who were clapping and cheering (save a few Slytherins). Hermione was suddenly very conscious of her attire, but her energy levels were so bled dry, she knew she had no strength to change them. She supposed she looked rather curious in a green neglige, black lace jacket, ballet slippers and a sword belt.  
  
Then she realized that she no longer wore that at all, but long white robes with silver trim. Harry and Severus' bloodstained robes had also been replaced with similar garments. The silver trim held ancient runes - "I give not for myself, but for my people." The garments rather reminded her of wizard's clothing long ago. Her hair had also been pulled back into a braid.  
  
Hermione tossed her head back, pretending to be haughty. "I don't have a clue what was wrong with my lingerie," she whispered to Severus and Harry.  
  
Dumbledore spoke. "I am sure you are all very curious as to what has been taking place over this school year. I am about to inform you of everything."  
  
Whispers scattered about.  
  
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet the students. "Professor Snape has been acting as a double agent between Voldemort and myself. He has been the reason that our resistance, the Order of the Phoneix, has been able to fight back. The information he has given us in the past about the Deatheaters has been..invaluable. It is because of him we have been able to live in safety.  
  
"Hermione Granger and Harry Potter joined the resistance this year, because they were of age. Not long after their initiation, Voldemort expressed interest in Hermione, for her vast intelligence. She was the only woman he thought capable to produce an heir."  
  
Angry hisses filled the room.  
  
Dumbledore quieted them again. "He told Severus, whom he suspected of betrayl, to take her on as his mistress and to gain information about her, or he would die a traitor to his circle. Therefore, a ruse was set up. Hermione and Severus began to act as if they were involved, dropping very big..."hints"...to keep the rumors circulating throughout the castle. They let no one outside of the Order know of the truth." Dumbledore paused. "Not even their closest friends, to protect those whom they loved."  
  
Ron, Hermione noticed, was hanging his head, shamefaced. So were several other Gryffindors.  
  
"They have sacrificed much. Their reputations, for one. Hermione has had to abandon all extracurricular activities, partly because of the fact everyone was making fun of her, partly also because she never knew when there might be Death Eater functions she would have to attend.  
  
"Harry has also given much. He has spied on Voldemort for us, using Occulmency and divining powers he has been gifted with. He has trained for today ruthlessly. He led the force which attacked Sceleris, Voldemort's lair, today.  
  
"And today, Professor Snape nearly lost his life trying to rescue Miss Granger from Voldemort's clutches. He was tortured and cursed within inches of his life.  
  
"We owe these three people much gratitude. We have all given of ourselves to defend the Light during this war. But these three have gone beyond the call. For this, we thank you, most humbly."  
  
With this, Dumbledore bowed. The rest of the faculty stood, following suit. Soon the student body was too.  
  
Hermione grasped Harry and Severus' hands. She was moved to tears. And from the looks in their eyes, they were too.  
  
Dumbledore rose up, and taking the signal, the faculty and students sat again. "Harry, please inform us of what happened."  
  
So, Harry did as he was told. He gave a synopsis of how he and the Order had snuck in the fortress through the plumbing, and how they had killed all the Deatheaters before Harry had entered Voldemort's rooms. Then he spoke of how Severus had been near death, and he stalled Voldemort long enough for Hermione to heal him. Then the three of them using Avada Kedavra, and Hermione taking up the sword and finishing him off.  
  
When Harry finished, silence fell. Neither Dumbledore nor anyone else spoke.  
  
Then, suddenly, Neville Longbottom stood. Giving them a small, shy smile, he began to clap. Ron then joined him next, along with Ginny. Soon everyone stood.  
  
Hermione was positive that no one could feel as happy as she was at that very moment in time.  
  
-----  
  
Epilogue  
  
-----  
  
The next day, Cornelius Fudge was removed from office for crimes dealing with his allegiance to Voldemort. Dumbledore was unanimously voted as the new Minister. McGonagall resigned from her Deputy Headmistress post to join him. The two finally got married. He formally invested Hermione, Harry, and Severus as knights as his first act of office.  
  
Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster. With Voldemort gone, he was no longer a cold-hearted teacher, but was very kind, in fact. He still taught Potions in additon to his headmasterly duties. Lupin, who was teaching DADA, took on the deputy head position.  
  
Severus and Hermione decided to keep it as friends after the final battle with Voldemort. She went on to university to pursue a degree in Transfiguration. She took McGonagall's old position after a string of bad teachers.  
  
Harry and Lizzy Daniels didn't last - big surprise. He ended up marrying a Muggle girl, an American he met on vacation in New York City.  
  
Ron and Hermione became friends again. They even dated for a little while before deciding that it would definitely never work out. Ron married Lavender, surprisingly enough.  
  
Severus and Hermione finally realized how stupid they were being a few years after Hermione took the Transfiguration job, and began to date again. They are now married with two children, Amadeus and Amelia.  
  
And that's that.  
  
Oh, one last thing: Juliet did get that Hogwarts letter in the fall.  
  
-----  
  
Author's Note: Well, a year and a half after it started, it's over. :) Sorry for the wait.  
  
Love Alicia/Jaimes 


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